Golf Planning Basics

Basic Golf Terms

Ace - also referred to as a hole-in-one.
Birdie - one stroke under par for the hole.
Bogey - one stroke over par for the hole.
Divot - grass or turf removed by club head with shot (always replace & step down).
Double Eagle - three strokes under par for the hole.
Eagle - two strokes under par for the hole.
Fairway - trimmed, well-kept area between tee and green.
Fore! - a warning to players or spectators in danger of being hit by a ball in flight.
Green - the closely trimmed area around the hole or cup.
Gross - a player's total score before deducting handicap.
Lie - position of a ball on the ground.
Mulligan - a second shot, a do-over - allowed in social games, but not in competition.
Open - tournament play open to both professionals and amateurs.
Par - the course standard of an expert golfer's performance on each hole.
Tee - the area from where the first shot is driven on each hole.

• Scramble - Most popular format because only the good shots are played. All players hit a tee shot, then the best one is selected and all players take their next shot from that spot, and so on until the ball is putted. The score on each hole is recorded as a team score. If your group is large and made up of players with mixed skill level group or beginners; this is the best format. It is also one of the quickest to play, allowing additional time for other activities.
• Best ball - this format is played with two, three, or four players per team. Golfers play there own ball on each hole, the lowest score is then recorded as the team score. This format may be played with or without a handicap and has a medium pace of play. This format is for a field made up of golfers.
• Callaway - A player's handicap is determined after each round by deducting from his gross score for the 18 holes using the worst individual hole scores from the first 16 holes.
• Individual Stroke Play - this format works for smaller groups since each player plays their own ball and records their own score. The pace of play depends on the skill level of your golfers.
• Shotgun - This tournament is designed to help speed play with a large number of players. Usually courses will only allow this format with 72 players. Foursomes will be placed as different starting holes and then will execute play at the same time.
• Tee times - Individual tee times are assigned to the foursomes.

• Hole Sponsors
• Closest to the Pin
• Longest/Shortest Drive
• Straightest Drive
• Longest Putt
• Hole-in-One Insurance - prizes can be cash, cars, trips, boats, etc.
• Swing Analysis
• Green and Cart Fees
• Food & Beverage Needs
• Prizes/Awards
• Bottled Water - always check with your golf course first
• Signage and Banners
• Photographer
• Pre/Post Clinic with Pros

• Registration Fees
• Mulligan Tickets
• Shoot-out
• Live Auction
• Silent Auction

1. Plan and write out each and every part of your event.
2. Recruit more volunteers or staff that you think you'll need, overstaff at the start of the event. And then, take the time to train them. They want to contribute and know they did a good job at the end of the day. Let them.
3. Thank everyone involved - volunteers, golfers, sponsors, golf course, etc.
4. Reward your committee or volunteers for bringing in new sponsors or golfers. Offer incentives such as free golf registration for sponsors over a certain $ amount.
5. Give away items that don't cost you money. Do not purchase prizes, remember this is a fundraiser.
6. Promote, Promote, Promote - newsletter, email, fax, website, meetings, mailings, personal calls, etc.
7. Hire a professional if you haven't done a tournament before or don't have the skill, the time or the staff. It will make a big difference to the bottom line.
8. Start small and grow.
9. Keep your registration fee reasonable based on the golfers package offered. Golfers usually participate in several tournaments a year and have a good idea on what green fees, shirts, etc. cost.
10. Have fun and enjoy yourself. If you do, others will.

• Golfers - golf is a hazardous game
• Alcohol - are you hosting a bar?
• Golf Carts - will volunteers, staff or even your photographer use a golf cart during the event?
• Weather - did you know that over the past 30 years, an average of 73 people per year have been killed nationwide by lighting - more than those killed by tornadoes or hurricanes? And golf-friendly Florida consistently has the highest number of ground strikes each year.
• Hole-in-One - are you offering a hole-in-one?
• Specialty Holes - are you offering a money hole, longest putt, closest to the pin or something similar?